civility
noun
ci·vil·i·ty
sə-ˈvi-lə-tē 
plural civilities
1
a
: civilized conduct
b
: a polite act or expression
lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political society—
Roy Jenkins
Roy JenkinsThe men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.
2
archaic
: training in the humanities
Examples of civility in a Sentence
They greeted each other with the usual exchange of civilities.
after the usual civilities, the parents and the principal had a serious talk about the boy
Recent Examples on the Web
Sustainable strategy trumps transactional tactics Whatever personal chemistry—or at least, civility—Trump and Xi might establish won’t matter much if each country sees the other as the main source of the world’s problems.
—Christopher Smart, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
An indictment of all Western Civilization for being a thin mask of civility and propriety failing to cover the ceaseless butchery beneath.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
But on the other hand, there is another element that contributes to the civility of El Clasico, which is that there are very few visiting fans at the matches.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The second lesson is that civility is not a replacement for politics, even in its messiest forms.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
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Christopher Smart, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
An indictment of all Western Civilization for being a thin mask of civility and propriety failing to cover the ceaseless butchery beneath.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
But on the other hand, there is another element that contributes to the civility of El Clasico, which is that there are very few visiting fans at the matches.
—Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The second lesson is that civility is not a replacement for politics, even in its messiest forms.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civility
Cite this Entry
“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
civility
noun
ci·vil·i·ty
sə-ˈvil-ət-ē
plural civilities
1
: civilized conduct
especially
: courtesy sense 1, politeness
2
: a polite act or expression
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